Last month, Local 2323 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers published an update regarding contract negotiations for workers employed by Air Canada.
Local 2323 represents over 11,000 workers employed by Air Canada employees in maintenance, cabin services, airport airside operations, cargo, finance, and clerical positions.
Their previous agreement expired this past March, having been in place for a decade.
According to last month’s update the bargaining team for the workers managed to reach a tentative agreement with Air Canada’s team.
The proposed 4-year deal would have included an average wage increase of 18% in the first year, followed by 3% in each of the following 3 years.
There were changes to shift premiums as well.
For airports and cargo workers, their afternoon premium would have increased from 50¢ an hour to 75¢ an hour, and their night premium would increase from $1.00 an hour to $1.50 an hour.
The night premium for workers in logistics and supply, as well as those in technical services, workers would have increased to $2.50 an hour (from $2.00) this year, $2.75 next April and $3.00 in April 2028.
Workers would have seen an increase to the cap on pensionable earnings. At the end of their last contract, the cap was $82,000. That would have increased to $96,000 this year, $98,000 next year, $100,000 in 2028, and $102,000 in the final year.
Retirement age would have reduced from 65 years to 63 years. If someone had been with Air Canada for at least 25 years of service, then could have retired at 60 years old.
Annual maximum coverage for psychologist service would have increased from $500 to $1000 for a single person and from $1000 to $2000 for a family.
Dental coverage would have increased from $1,750 per person per year to $2,000 per person per year. Orthodontic coverages would have jumped from $2,500 to $3,000 liftime coverage for children under 21.
Vision coverage would have increased from $250 every 2 years to $375 every 2 years.
The bargaining team for the workers held several information sessions last month to explain the collective agreement to the workers and to answer questions.
Online voting began on 19 June and ended on 21 June.
Workers voted in 3 segments.
Finance workers voted 84% to ratify their agreement. Clerical workers voted 89.7% to ratify their agreement.
Workers employed in technical, maintenance, and operational support positions, however, rejected their agreement. And just barely. Of those who participated in the ratification vote, 51.16% voted against ratification.
This particular vote was not without controversy.
For example, Local 2323 chose to suspend online voting after some workers in Toronto tried voting multiple times by using different email addresses. Voting took place in person; although that vote was delayed.
As well, last year, workers in the technical, maintenance, and operational support unit had attempted to fragment the unit, which would have created a new bargaining unit for all Air Canada technical services workers except for those in airport and cargo operations, those in logistics and supply, and those in management positions.
This fragmentation was supported by the Canada Industrial Relations Board, and the new bargaining unit likely would have been represented by the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association.
However, a reconsideration panel of the CIRB reversed that decision this past May.
It looks like it is back to the drawing board again, or in this case, back to the bargaining table.
